PHOTO GALLERY (8)

May 2008 4x4 Readers' Rigs

Want to see your vehicle in Readers' Rigs? Of course you do. So go ahead and send a description of everything you have done to your rig, and include a good photo of it. No, you don't need no stinking application. Just go ahead and send it to: Readers' RigsFour Wheeler6420 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515.

Or send your description and high resolution digital photos to us via www.fourwheeler.com.

This '85 GMC K-2500 comes from Jim Emmert of Molalla, Oregon. A swapped-in 6.5L turbodiesel with ATS turbocharger motivates the truck, while a Pro Comp 4-inch lift makes room for 35-inch Dick Cepek Mountain Cat tires. Used daily on a farm, Jim can't help but count down the hours each week before packing his gear and heading up into the nearby Cascade Mountains for weekend 'wheeling trips. Jim tells us the turbodiesel gets great fuel mileage and offers better performance than the stock 6.2L.

Ed Williams, lives in Kodiak, Alaska. The photos he sent in were taken in Cordova, Alaska, in front of Sheridan Glacier. His rig is a combination of parts that seem to work well in the chilly Northern regions. A '69 Ford Bronco frame was mated to a '74 body, and runs a 351 Windsor V-8 engine with a Holley 650 Truck Avenger carburetor. A Jacobs ignition and K&N air filter boost power while a C4 transmission and Dana 20 transfer case provide the gearing. Axles are stock except for a Detroit Locker and 4.88 gears. A 3.5-inch lift came from Bronco Graveyard, and dual Rancho 9000s help smooth out the ride. Beefed-up steering, custom-built bumpers, and a six-point cage round out the list of backyard ingenuity.

This '03 Grand Cherokee Laredo belongs to Tyler Raymond from Glenburn, Maine. Sporting an FIPK, a Power-Aid 1-inch throttle-body spacer, and a 2-inch body lift, this Jeep is a perfect daily driver for a region where lifts greater than 3 inches are illegal. Other mods include a Kevin's Off Road transfer-case skidplate and a set of General Grabber AT2 tires.

David and Ben Weisensel of Granite Quarry, North Carolina, are both longtime readers, and these are the rigs they enjoy abusing each week. David drives the F-350 Crew Cab (affectionately referred to as "Black Thunder") with a 460 with a rebuilt top end. Power goes through a rebuilt E4OD tranny with a shift kit. A front Dana 60 and rear 10.25 both are equipped with 4.56:1 gearing. A set of 35-inch Interco SSRs provide traction. David's son Ben prefers old-school brute and drives the '77 F-250 Hi-Boy. Known around town as "Big Red," this rig is equipped with a 400 V-8, stock C6, and a stock transfer case. Dana 60s front and rear sit atop 37-inch Boggers on Alcoa polished-aluminum rims.

Jeanne and Chuck Sylvester of Rochester, Massachusetts, own this sweet red rocket ship. Well, maybe it's not a rocket ship, but we bet it moves like one. Under the shiny red hood lurks a 5.0L Mustang powerplant mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. From there, a trusty NP205 splits the fire between a front Dana 44 with a Truetrac and a custom Ford 9-inch with a locker out back. Both feature Moser axles and 4.10:1 gearing. There's also a 6.5-inch lift from Rusty's Off Road. Chuck says the 5.0L has no problem spinning the 35-inch BFG M-Ts.

Jennifer Buch of Tigerton, Wisconsin, drives this '90 Dodge Ramcharger equipped with a 4-inch Rough Country lift, 36-inch tires, and a high-output 318 V-8. This shot was taken on the Pipeline Trail of Wisconsin. Jennifer says she got stuck because she had to hit the hole a second time to get a good picture. Nice, Jennifer. Blame the camera ...

Seth Hopper is a Marine stationed in Twentynine Palms, California. His '72 Jeepster Commando is affectionately known as a "Bullnose." For now, it's completely stock, though in the future Seth plans to upgrade the AMC 304 V-8, TH400 transmission, and Dana 20 transfer case with rebuilds. The stock axles are open and feature 3.73:1 gearing for now. We hope to see another photo of Bullnose once Seth gets around to performing the restoration.